on PinterestDoctors say a rise in infectious disease rates in the U.S. is largely due to declining vaccination rates.
on PinterestDoctors say a rise in infectious disease rates in the U.S. is largely due to declining vaccination rates. Luis Velasco/Getty Images
- Doctors are reporting increases in infectious diseases, including measles, whooping cough, rotavirus, and others, especially in children.
- Experts say the primary reason for the rise of these illnesses is the increasing number of adults and children who are not vaccinated.
- They say it’s important for medical professionals to educate their patients about the safety and effectiveness of vaccines.
Doctors are reporting what they describe as an alarming rise in a variety of serious illnesses due to declining vaccination rates.
Measles is a significant concern amid ongoing outbreaks in the United States, but concerns about whooping cough, rotavirus, and other diseases are also mounting.
Children who aren’t vaccinated appear to be bearing the brunt of these illnesses, but officials also note an increase in unvaccinated adults requiring hospitalization, including some who refuse tetanus shots and blood transfusions.
The news comes a week after President Donald Trump signed an executive order reaffirming an assessment by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that aligns “the United States’ childhood vaccine practices with scientific evidence and best practices from peer, developed countries.”
The executive order notes that in 1980, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended children in the United States receive 23 vaccine doses in seven shots against seven different diseases. In 2024, that number had risen to at least 84 vaccine doses in at least 57 shots for 17 diseases, more than any other developed nation.
In January, HHS officials led by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. released a new childhood vaccination schedule that recommended vaccination against 11 diseases. The six other diseases were recommended only for children at higher risk.
“After an exhaustive review of the evidence, we are aligning the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule with international consensus while strengthening transparency and informed consent. This decision protects children, respects families, and rebuilds trust in public health,” Health Secretary Kennedy said in a statement at the time.
However, experts who spoke with Healthline say the decrease in vaccination rates and the resulting increase in disease are worrisome.
“I am very concerned about the increase in cases of vaccine-preventable infections in children in the United States,” said William Schaffner, MD, a professor of medicine at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee and a specialist in infectious diseases.
“Large measles outbreaks have been well-publicized; less well known are recent increases in whooping cough and rotavirus (diarrheal) infections in children,” he said. “There also have been clusters of chickenpox. All these illnesses can make children feel miserable, and that would be bad enough, but all can result in serious illness that requires hospitalization and can cause death.”
Measles cases rising in U.S.
By late May, the CDC reported 30 measles outbreaks in 2026, resulting in 1,983 cases. In 2025, there were 48 measles outbreaks with 2,288 confirmed cases.
The major measles outbreaks this year have occurred in South Carolina, with 669 cases so far. Utah is next with 484 cases, followed by Texas with 182 and Florida
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